TreeFiddy53

Strange Darling (2023)

Predictable but GOOD!

This is your traditional serial killer thriller told in a way that you may not have seen before. This film is crazy, the screenplay and storytelling is twisted and so are the people in it. The film looks independent, some online are even calling it 'art', if that helps. Great performances by the lead. Go in blind and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

The plot, if you're used to a lot of films in this genre, might end up being predictable, but that doesn't mean it's not good. In fact, this might just make it to my top...15? Of the year. If you're a fan of the genre but also are looking for something new, Strange Darling might be worth your time.

Coherence (2013)

That was something else!

Black (Tamil) released not too long ago, and even though the makers only said "It's an official remake of a Hollywood film" and didn't mention which one, we all know it's this one from 2013. Needless to say, I had to watch them both, one after another.

This was a short movie. 1hr20ish, gets to the plot right away, no time wasted. It had me scratching my head and going "I NEED ANSWERS!" after the watch, but boy was this....well done. I learned that this was shot over five nights, without a script, in the director's living room for a paltry $50,000. Given that, this film was amazing! Not my favorite in this genre, I think I enjoyed Predestination more than this, but while complex, this was a GOOD movie.

Sci-fi movies that have events that can't be explained often throw a "Quantum" and hope the audiences plays along. This one does too. It also talks about Schrödinger's cat. Interestingly, these are brought up in the beginning of the film so it makes the plot relatively OK to follow along when it happens. You almost think it's gonna go a certain way. Twists and turns lead to an ending that you don't necessarily see coming but the film was almost....expected to end this way....!?

In any case, would totally recommend this to sci-fi lovers.

Black (2024)

Lost opportunity

I wasn't going to watch Black but the plot of Coherence had me eager to see how this had been adopted for the Tamil audience. I'd heard GOOD reviews, but I was fairly certain they'd take at least 20 mins to get the plot started but.....this, while a bold attempt at sci-fi in Kollywood, is a far cry from the original. You may find it worth your time if you have not watched Coherence, but boy was this a mess in comparison. The plot takes about 40 mins to get started, there are elements in the film that feel unnecessary, not sure about the creative decisions but the writer might have had reasons.

From a plot standpoint, this film throws very many scientific terms in the climax and hopes we're like "Oh, i see what happened" and I don't know if that was....convincing.

The original has 8 people central to the plot and you'd think this adds to the complexity but they surprisingly did a good job. In Black, the plot revolves around just the two leads and even that is needlessly convoluted.

Just by itself, it was..an OK movie at best. Keta "Hollywood la yedutha OK nu sollunvinga" nu dialogue viduvanungo. When you take into account that it was an official remake, this was an opportunity wasted.

Watch Coherence regardless, you can then watch Black or skip it.

The Substance (2024)

Wow, what was that!?

This film..... I'll try and explain what I just watched. This was a movie experience like nothing else this year, like nothing else in a while. This is NOT for the fainthearted, NOT for the squeamish.

I'd heard a lot of things about this film....about the body horror, the mesmerizing....storytelling, the violence, the "don't watch while you're eating".....all of that is true. The best way to describe the film, not the best way, but the first thing that came to mind was....'Saw' with a social message, told in a way you didn't know it could be told.

The highlight of the movie IMO is what it's trying to convey and how it's told. The commentary on the society's beauty standards, validation, on Hollywood and the men who are in charge....ooof - expect award nominations. Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley both deserve all the praise they can get, expect nominations for the best and support acting categories. The set design, editing and sound-design deserve a special mention.

I sadly expect the film to not win as many awards as I think it deserves because other films that were more widely watched will beat this one to the awards, movies like Dune 2 (which was a snooze-fest IMO but OK). This certainly isn't for the kids. Given its genre, I bet half the adult audience won't watch it. The ones who do, I anticipate 90%+ giving you positive reviews, but I have a feeling that's not going to be mainstream enough for the awards. I hope I am wrong.

Regardless, this will go down as a cult classic at the very least. At best - one of the most memorable (notice that i didn't say best) movie experiences of the year/ of all time.

Hereditary (2018)

Was...something.

Been reading so much about how this is one of the most scariest film in recent times and I don't know if I agree. But in a classic A24 manner, it makes you go "Bruh, what was that?" and you get to decide if that's in a good/disappointing way. This is more of a story of grief and not knowing what ones own ancestry has been up to told in 'horrifying' manner.

The actors did a stellar job. The film was shot brilliantly. Critics heaped praises onto the film, the audience - mixed reviews, majority positive; and all the positive ones were extra positive. I suppose I am in the minority and didn't enjoy the film as much, perhaps the ending the fly for me but if you're in the mood for a horror movie, you might wanna give this a shot and see if you like it. I mean, it's A24.

The Buckingham Murders (2023)

Mid

Bollywood's 'Mare of Easttown'.....? Not sure if that's high praise on this film or that's an unfair comparison, but if you're into the mood for a crime thriller, you might want to check this out.

Kareena and the support cast do a good job. The film is well shot, the color correction stood out for the amount of green in the film. The plot - you can tell that they tried hard to subvert; you know the most obvious person with the motive isn't the real bad guy and that the predictable part in this film. You know someone else will eventually be the focus, and that takes (at least took away for me) the viewing experience, but you may feel otherwise and actually enjoy the film more.

Will recommend for a one-time watch regardless, if you like the crime thriller genre.

Andhagan (2024)

Decent.

The official remake of the 2018 Hindi hit, Andhadhun. I've seen the original but I don't remember much of it, figured I'd give this a shot, at least to see how different this one is from the Hindi-verison. Just because watched Andhadhun first, I'm biased towards the original but the Tamil version was surprisingly better than I thought it would be.

There's some cringeworthy overacting in the first 10-15 mins, beyond which, it gets better. Simran was good, Prashanth was good and so was the rest of the cast. If you've not watched the original, I'd totally recommend it. If you've seen it, maybe watch it to see Prashanth and Simran back on the screen after a while, but don't expect the film to wow you.

Sattam En Kaiyil (2024)

One-time watch.

I didn't expect Sathish to do a solo movie, heard some really good things about this film. Technically it's very well made. Well shot. Good sound design that adds to the intensity of a thrilling storyline. Well written, but...there are 2-3 twists that the film heavily relies on and I sadly was able to see them coming from a long way away, but I was still curious to see how things played out. Unfortunately, despite the engaging first 80mins, the climax felt a little too convenient.

Would I recommend it...? Maaaaaybe. If you love crime thrillers but haven't really watched a lot of them, especially international thrillers, you'll be pleasantly surprised by this one, especially for a Kollywood movie. If you are a regular consumer of international content, you'll find this to be a predictable film but it'll still end up being a decent one-time watch.

Jama (2024)

Would recommend!

The film could have very well been a 'neither here-nor there' type of a film, but the writing strikes a good balance between being a movie about a dying artform with cultural and societal implications & casteism. The movie will be talked about for the acting, by the actor-director Pari and by Chetan - this may be one of his best works yet. The dialogues in the film deserve a special mention. You may have seen several stories like these in the past but may not have seen the story told in such a manner. This will be one of the GOOD Tamil movies of the year; I'd recommend it despite the....slow pacing.

Lubber Pandhu (2024)

One of the best of the year!

What a movie!! This is easily one of my favorite of the year, Tamil or not. I can already picture references from this film playing out at the Chepauk in the IPL in a few months time.

Tough to make a movie about cricket and make it different, especially since Blue Star released not too long ago. Tough to make the messaging subtle, but retain the importance. We've seen the family drama and the love-angle plot several times over the years. But regardless of all that, these guys managed to make the film look and feel very 'fresh'.

If you haven't watched this film yet, I'd very highly recommend.

Shogun (2024)

Best show of the year!

This show is the best show of the year in my books. It will likely be in yours as well. If you're not used to watching a lot of international content, this will likely give you an experience that you may not have had from other shows. It is set in Japan in the year 1600, and based on a book based on a true events from Japanese history.

Visually stunning - ✅ Awesome sound design and OST - ✅ Brilliant acting - ✅ Set design and production quality - ✅ The costume design, oof...! - ✅

I can go on, but you get the point. Please put up with the subtitles and you'll likely be in for an experience like never before.

Zwigato (2022)

Good movie!

This is FINALLY on streaming. Not sure what took so long.

Plot - A man works as a food delivery rider, grappling with the world of ratings and incentives. To support the income, his homemaker wife begins to explore different work opportunities, with fear but also excitement of a new found independence.

This too, is one of those slice of life movies that may make you think about a few things in life that we take for granted and may make you be grateful for all things in life. Kapil Sharma plays the lead, I haven't watched much of his content, but I didn't expect him to deliver such a performance along with all the others in the film.

While the story is a bit serious, it's still a good movie to watch with an ending that makes you want to look at life with optimism and hope. If you're in the mood for something like this, I'd recommend Zwigato.

Meiyazhagan (2024)

Loved it.

The slice of life genre is rare in Kollywood; folks who keep saying "Why do they not make films in Tamil like they do in Malayalam?" your wish has been granted.

For a filmmaking standpoint, this couldn't get any simpler. I wonder how much money was spent in making this film, because I'm sure this has now collected several X of what was put in. Just goes to show that you don't need elaborate sets (how many crores did Shankar spend on SJ Surya's home for ONE scene!?) you don't need any over the top fight scenes, "interval blocks" and what not to make a good movie, people leave the theaters with the satisfaction of having watched a good movie and leave happy.

I'm sure I'm late with this film, one of the best Tamil movies of the year so far, better than most of the big name movies, some loose-u pasanga would disagree but it is what it is. If you're like me and haven't watched this yet, please don't miss out. Several people online and the ones I've spoken to said that this also a tearjerker but in a happy way. Subjective, but just FYI.

Raat Jawan Hai (2024)

Enjoyed it!!

This is one of the most fun, lighthearted, shows that you'll watch this entire year. The show follows the journey of 3 people who've been friends since their childhood and have their own separate lives now, trying to juggle parenting, work, friendship and marriage at the same time.

Parents with babies/young kids will relate on a whole different level. There's also a whole for people who've got a handful of friends they are tight with. The show also effortlessly comments on class, tradition, society, patriarchy x matriarchy, and so much more.

There's a lot going on in this show but it doesn't feel like it. The dialogues (and the dialogue delivery) range from chuckle-worthy to hilarious.

I ended up running this in the background and you can too, but you're likely gonna enjoy this more if you pay attention. Don't miss this one.

Vettaiyan (2024)

Better than GOAT and Jailer, but.....

It's fair to say that all the "mass heroes" have been type-cast for a while, you just can't make a film that all sections of the audience love. Make it for the fans, others dislike it; no fanservice in the film and the fans hate it; somewhere in between, they're gonna say "it's neither here nor there." If, like several Tamil cinema fans, you also wondered if the "Jai Bhim director" would do justice to a Rajini film, he..... did....kinda-sorta.

I've given up on the 'mass movies' genre. The last one - GOAT was fanservice overload, Rajini's last - Jailer - I didn't enjoy. It was...mid. So, I had very low expectations with Vettaiyan to begin with, but I was pleasantly surprised. The first half of the film - racy af. I did NOT expect it to be that fast. Makkall would say "Viru-virupu ah" As much as I dislike Ani-bro oda songs, the sound design in the first half (hell, in almost the entire film) was phenomenal, it kept the intensity UP! The second half - was reminiscent of the several 10x movies we've watched over the years. Nothing new, expect you see what the director was trying to do, so if you cut him some slack, you'll find the 2nd half decent as well. The message, I get what they're trying to address. Couldn't have expected this in a Jailor or a GOAT. But, was it an awesome 2nd half? No.

Rajini was....the best that the director could make him in a 'message based' film while trying to maintain his mass hero persona. Bro did what he could, and credit where its due. AB Sr. Was....not needed but there's a point when someone has to point fingers at Rajini's character, so, having someone as big as him makes sense. Rajini & Fafa have some scenes together, and their chemistry was great. I'd love to watch a Meiyazhagan type film between these two. Was Fafa necessary? Prolly not; but bro did a good job with whatever was given to him. It's amazing that you forget that an actor like Fahad is on screen, that's how massive Rajini's screen presence was. Oooof. That's....about it. Others do what they can in their very limited screentime.

My issues with this film

• There's a fight scene in which one gunda is coming at Rajini, while other 10 are waiting, like a statue, for the first guy to get beaten up. Second guy starts right after; then third and so on. Why? Just so that you can use the body cam!? 😐
• The climax fight scene. Can't explain for obvious reasons.

• What happens after the the entire plot is done.... I mean, didn't that just negate the entire damn film.....? Why did they not.....Nobody asked any questions.....? Spoilers, so, I can't explain. Maybe I missed something, so we can discuss one you're done watching.

• Someone please ask 'Ani bro' to STOP singing. Also, if the director is trying to make us stay invested in the role and buy into that world, nodi-ku nooru vaati "Superstar daaaa" nu BGM pota I can only see the actor Rajini and not the guy he's playing. Whatever happened to the old-school "Baashaa......*takujujhum*" 😂 type themes? Or even the vikRUMMM....or LeoooooOOOooooo! Make it for the character and not the actor and hype the role up! Somma Thalapathy da.... Superstar da nu potutu savu adikaranunga. Keta Ani bro da...Seri OK.

Overall - Awesome first half. Depending on who you are, bearable to decent 2nd half. Mass-movie fans would tell you it's neither a Rajini film, nor a Jai Bhim type film. (What more do you want from Rajini and his directors? 😐 Can't make all the movies for just the fans) Casual movie goers are likely to find the good middle ground as long they can get past the ending/not notice it. I liked it more than Jailer and GOAT...I think.

There's a review i read somewhere that draws parallels between "Encounters" and "Hero-worship" and asks, if the larger than life hero, in his role, could take a step back and think, "Am I overdoing it? I think I made a mistake..."why can't the fans emulate the hero, calm down for one moment, and think the same about worshipping these 'heroes'? Food for thought.

The Wild Robot (2024)

One of the best of the year!

Very likely the best animation movie of the year and for some, the best movie of the year.

From the makers or How to Train Your Dragon, Lilo & Stitch, etc., comes a story of kindness as a survival skill. Young children will love this. If you're a parent, you'll love this. If you've been wanting to watch something with your family, look no further. Some of you, you'll be wiping some tears away during/at the end of film after having watched something good!

The very high level plot of the film may not be different from other animation movies before, but the way it's told was very well done. The film was visually stunning and had GOOD sound design as well. The voice actors - you can't tell who's who unless you've read the names, I found this...interesting. Not having to rely on the familiarity that comes with famous voices exactly as they sound and to still be able to sell the film - good job!

NGL, I did catch myself wondering about a couple logic holes but I was quick to discard that thought process because you can't expect that in a 'kids movie for grown-ups'. Is this a theater watch...? Maybe, maybe not. If you want to watch it with your kids/family and make an event out of it, absolutely go to the theater. This film will likely get the Oscar for Best Animation next year!

Untold: Untold: Hope Solo vs. U.S. Soccer (2024)

Mid

A slightly underwhelming doc; it wasn't what I thought it would be. I don't know if I'm in the minority with this but I'd have enjoyed watching a doc either completely about Hope's history or about her falling-out with US Soccer. This was somewhere in the middle and I think it tried to do something and couldn't deliver. It also felt like Netflix was trying to capitalize on the lawsuit story only to sprinkle it into a PR documentary for Solo; nothing wrong with that if done well. David Beckham's entire doc was just PR but it was very well done, but sadly, I don't think this one was.

......................

Sector 36 (2024)

Woah! That was intense.

Netflix dropped a "true-crime" movie loosely based the 2006 Nithari Killings in Noida, starring Vikrant Massey as the bad guy. A very interesting choice by someone who's on an upward trajectory, not sure if anyone else would have chosen to play this role at this stage of their career; I suppose the idea was, "I can show some range!" and boy does he show range. Him and Deepak Dobriyal, who plays the cop, knock it out the park in the very disturbing story, portrayed in a dark manner.

The film isn't like your typical crime thriller but expect this film to keep you glued to the tv regardless. It also raises several questions about the criminal justice system and the role that the police force plays. Not sure if the lack of answers is a minus against the movie or for the viewers to answer, but in reading up about the case, I was like, "Whoa this...is crazy!"

Since the film is adapted, the story takes some liberties to explore paths that probably didn't happen in real life and I don't know if that was done to add cinematic value, especially towards the end of the film. Not sure if the film would felt extra dark and heavy if it weren't for these liberties. Regardless, I'd totally recommend this film. Don't watch it with kids around. Probably not for the faint hearted either.

The Fall Guy (2024)

Fun movie!

I heard "From the makers of Bullet Train, about the life of a stunt-crew member" Bullet Train was...something different, so I thought, sign me up. Then I heard Ryan and Emily were in it and it's likely gonna be a rom-com of sorts.....not sure how they were gonna pull this off, but boy this was a fun film.

Fun action. Fun dialogues. Not LOL, but surely chuckle worthy humor. Ryan and Emily have a good on-screen chemistry! But the film, more than anything else, is an ode to the stunt performers in the industry. Why there are no "Best Oscar for Stunts" still is beyond me. There are a lot of references to this and they show you why the stunt-crew is important to the success of the film. I had made up my mind that the story was going to be logic-less, but it was surprisingly more engaging than I thought.

The duration of the film was being dunked on for being 2-hrs long, I caught the extended version at 2:20, and parts of the film did make me feel that it was dragging along but not enough to complain about it.

If you liked Bullet Train, you'll like this. It's a fun movie, apparently based on a tv show a similar premise. Huh. Didn't know.

Chilli Chicken (2024)

Fell apart in the 2nd half, but would recommend.

The film opens with a question on if we value life at birth or at death, and with text that says Bengaluru is the 2nd largest home to migrants in India after Mumbai, making up 51% of the city's population, making it one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the country.

This story is about 4 such individuals from Manipur who work at "Noodle House" and the local owner, who, much like the workers, also wants a better life and hopes to build a "Noodle Palace".

The four of them speak Kannada and one of them is in a proper relationship with a Kannadiga and none of that feels forced (vs the Kannada imposition narrative that you see online) thanks to a decent amount of time spent in the first half in the world building. There are several messages, on cultural assimilation, old values vs the changing world, how (un)welcoming a place can be to outsiders, how you've got to "Put up with the rain, if you want the rainbow" etc., thrown at you very subtly and not in a preachy way which makes you feel like this is a film that's surely gonna be a "lighthearted serious movie".

There's a 'twist' about halfway through and for me, the film fell apart from there. The story couldn't decide if it wanted to answer the question about the value life, or if it wanted to tell the migrant story and in a bid to address both, it ended up doing a little too much for my liking and went all over the place.

That said, the film is being well received and many seem to like it, so you may too. This is apparently the director's first film - decent first one, IMO. We also don't get a lot of films on addressing the lives of folks from the North Eastern parts of the country in other parts of India, so this provides a glimpse of what it's like and how the work/sacrifices you've got to make for dreams and aspirations, regardless of where you are from and where you live, are similar. Support the story and the first-timer, especially if you're looking for something different.

Terminator Zero (2024)

Enjoyed it! I could nitpick and find flaws, but, no. This was GOOD overall.

As a fan of the OG Terminator (Tr) movies, the announcement for an official Tr anime...by the animators of Ghost in the Shell...had me intrigued. But knowing what has become of the franchise in the recent past, I remained skeptical.

It released on Netflix on...sure enough, August 29 aka Judgment Day in the Tr lore. This show is really good (minus a couple logic issues which we'll get to) and a lot of people are calling this the best thing in the franchise since the James Cameron movies in 1991.

The show has 8 episodes, < 30 mins each ; a quick binge. You don't have to know anything about the previous movies to watch this show, could be a standalone show if you want it to be. There are several 'easter-eggs' to the first two movies that you'd appreciate if you've seen the films but it is not a necessity. Tr has one of the most iconic themes in film history and while there's a callback, the music for this show is solid as well.

The story (with a touch of a Nolan-eqsue ending), very relevant in the age of AI that we live in, ends up being slightly more philosophical than I'd expected but no complaints. A couple characters familiar with Tr and what its capable of engage in a hand-to-hand combat with it, didn't know how to feel about that, but I chose not to nitpick.

Overall - A very faithful adaptation of the series with a different take on it while retaining the originality; you've got to watch it for that to make sense. Fans of the movies need to watch this! Non-fans will likely end up watching it and then will go watch the movies. Win-win IMO.

Munjya (2024)

Surely worth a one-time watch!

Based on a Maharashtrian folklore, this is the 4th film in the Maddock Supernatural Universe, still makes waves as it almost broke into the top 5 highest grossing Hindi films of the year so far. Everyone's been calling it a sleeper hit; with Stree 2 being a massive hit and this being a part of the 'MSU', I'd been eager to watch this one for a while.

• Abhay Verma, Sharvari and the supporting cast were great in the film. I don't know who decided to bring Satyaraj in, but interesting choice.

• The film is a horror comedy and could have easily ended up being a Stree (2) (which might end up being criticism held against the film- that wasn't as funny as Stree) but I'm glad it wasn't. The audience would have said "It's just like Stree but with a different ghost, what's the point....!?"; damned if you do, damned if you don't. But I am in the 'Glad it wasn't like Stree' camp.

• Glad Bittu's character was portrayed the way it was (anything more would spoil it) vs what I expected. Spielberg tries to do what the Stree trio does and while he obviously isn't and can't be the trio, he does well enough to add to the comedy.

• Shoutout to the VFX team - you could tell it was graphics but it was done well!

• Couldn't help but appreciate how some cultural practices in the Konkan region are very similar to other parts of the country.

The film isn't anything mindblowing, you're likely going to find Stree (2) to be more entertaining and provide more value for your time/money but this isn't a bad movie at all. Curious to see how they bring the MSU together but now that Akshay Kumar is in it, I have a bad feeling about it.

Twisters (2024)

GOOD!

If you liked the original Twisters, you're gonna like this one. The chemistry between Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell was good, much like the first one but the star of the film was the 'once in a generation' storm. With the advancement in technologies, the storms were visually better in this one.

The science team chasing the tornadoes vs the Youtubers was a nice touch, since people chasing storms for views online wasn't a thing back then. Capitalism, influencers, celebrity culture slightly being tied into this whole thing was a nice touch as well.

Glen Powell is on his way to superstardom, i didn't think I'd watch 3 of his movies in the first 8 months of the year. I was expecting him play a certain role in the climax but he didn't, which I was pleasantly surprised by. The technical jargon in the first movie is in the second as well, it'll not bother you though.

For disaster movies/monster movies, filmmakers choose to bring the 'human part' in and it tends up being overplayed, makes you think "Bruh I'm just here to see the monster/tornado and not the human drama. Why?" There was a decent amount of human drama and the interpersonal, but it wasn't overdone and IMO, it was done just enough to make you care about Kate, who is technically the lead in the film (you'll know why once you watch it) Daisy was good with what she did.

The cinematography lowkey shows how vast and open Oklahoma is and that added to the visual value. There was a scene with the swimming pool that had me scratching my head and common sense tells me that that shouldn't be possible, but perhaps there's some science behind it that I don't know of/am aware of.

Overall - it's a 'big dumb fun' film that you'll enjoy, especially if you enjoyed the first one. Science vs Sensationalism at first, and the movie goes on make a case for why the both of them need to work together for the greater good was good takeaway.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Awesome!

Only took me 30+ years to watch this classic, only to wish I had watched it at least 10 years sooner, but never late than ever I guess. If you've been living under the same rock as me, drop everything else on your watchlist and watch this crime thriller; it won't hit the same because you already have/would have consumed more/other mind-blowing crime dramas by then.

The storyline was unique even for me, someone who's watched hella content, I'm jealous of people who got to watch this film when it actually released. I don't think they'd have watched anything like this before. Curious to see if this got remade elsewhere and how it was received.

IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack (2024)

Could have been a 2.5 hr movie.

I was a kid back when this happened, I remember seeing news clips (on NDTV...?) of the plane and the elders discussing this away at lengths. This show, all these years later, provides context to what happened back then.

Some liberties have been taken, the director said, (I am not sure what parts) but for the most part, this seems to be a faithful retelling of the true events, reviews seem to say.

I don't think the doc. Takes any sides per say it is more of a 'piece of documentation' of history for people (and the generation born much after) who didn't know anything about the hijacking of the plane beyond what was shown on tv; the turmoil that folks had to go through for 7 days...oof. Would recommend.